Carrying attachment for a car top



Dec. 27, 1955 v. D. PLANTICO 2,728,502

CARRYING ATTACHMENT FOR A CAR TOP Filed Sept. 3, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR. V/czor D. P/arnico Dec. 27, 1955 v. D. PLANTICO CARRYING ATTACHMENT FOR A CAR TOP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 3, 1954 INV ENTOR. V/ czfor D. P/an zzco vlamm "In v nann u. VIII United States Patent CARRYING ATTACHMENT FOR A CAR TOP Victor D. Plantico, Manitowoc, Wis.

Applicafion September 3, 1954, Serial No. 454,027

2 Claims. (Cl. 224-42.1)

This invention relates to a carrying attachment for a car top and has for its primary object to support objects on the top of a vehicle without marring the finish of the top.

Another object is to facilitate the rapid mounting and demounting of the attachment to the top of a vehicle and to enable the supporting beams of the attachment to be held in spaced parallel relation to one another in vertically spaced relation to the car top and at a selected distance apart.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features spaced feet adapted to rest in the rain gutters carried by a car top adjacent opposite sides thereof, a hook carried by each foot for movement longitudinally adjacent one end thereof into clamping engagement with a rain gutter, a standard carried by each foot and extending vertically upwardly therefrom above the car top, a guide channel carried by the standards and extending therebetween across the top of the car and in spaced relation thereto, a guide roller carried by the guide channel and extending transversely thereacross adjacent one end thereof, a supporting beam mounted in the guide channel for movement longitudinally therein across the guide roller, a carriage carried by the supporting beam adjacent one end thereof and encircling the guide channel, and a roller carried by the carriage and extending thereacross beneath the guide channel for cooperation with the guide roller in supporting the beam when it is extended across the guide roller.

Other features include a bearing roller carried by the beam and extending thereacross adjacent the carriage for engaging the channel and cooperating with the guide roller in supporting the beam during its movement within the channel.

Still other features include so disposing the guide roller relative to the guide channel that it projects slightly above the bottom thereof to define a stop for the beam when the latter is telescoped into the guide channel, and means detachably coupling the guide channel to the standards to facilitate the removal of the carrying attachment from the car top.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a conventional automobile showing it equipped with this improved carrying attachment and in a position to mount a boat onto the top of the vehicle;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the boat mounted on the top of the vehicle;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view across the car top, showing the attachment in place thereon;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detailed view showing the foot adjusted to cooperate with an angular portion of the rain gutter of the vehicle;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 88 of Figure 3; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 99 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, this improved carrying attachment comprises spaced parallel carriers designated generally C which are mounted on top of a vehicle V substantially as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The vehicle is equipped with a conventional rain gutter G which extends along opposite sides of the vehicle and, as illustrated in Figure 1, a boat B is about to be mounted on one of the elements defining a carrier C, the opposite element being in its telescoped inoperative position and being adapted to be extended beneath the boat when the stern portion thereof is elevated above the top of the car so that the supporting beams of the carrying attachments may be moved across the car top to center the boat with relation thereto.

This improved carrying attachment comprises two identical supporting members, each comprising feet 10 which are adapted to rest in the rain gutters G. on opposite sides of the vehicle top, as will be readily understood upon reference to Figure 3. Each foot is provided adjacent its end which is received in the gutter G with an elongated longitudinal slot 12 for the reception of a guide pin 14 carried by a hook 16 which, as illustrated in Figure 3, engages the underside of its respective gutter G to clampingly hold the foot 10 in place therein. An car 18 is carried by each foot 10 and extends outwardly therefrom and is pierced to receive a threaded stem 20 which is carried by and extends longitudinally from its respective hook 16. A nut 22 threadedly engages the stem 20 to advance the hook 16 into clamping engagement with its respective gutter G. An arcuate slot 24 extends through the foot 10 in symmetrical relation to the longitudinal axis thereof, and connected to the foot 10 by a suitable bolt 26 and wing nut 28 is a standard 30 which, as illustrated in the drawings, is provided with a longitudinal row of longitudinally spaced openings 32 for the reception of the bolt 26 in order that the standard may be adjusted vertically with relation to the foot 10. Carried by each standard 30 and extending inwardly therefrom across a portion of the top of the vehicle V is an arm 34 having an elongated longitudinal slot 36 extending therethrough for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter described.

Carried by the arms 34 and extending transversely across the top of the vehicle V in vertically spaced relation thereto is a channel member or guide 38 having a bottom 40 and upwardly extending parallel side flanges 42. The bottom 40 of each channel 38 is provided adjacent opposite ends with depending externally screw threaded studs 43 which project downwardly through the slots 36 in the arms 34, and threadedly engaged With the studs 43 are wing nuts 44 by means of which the channel 38 is clampingly engaged with its respective arms 34. Carried by each channel 38 and extending across the end thereof adjacent the bottom 40 is a guide roller 46, the periphery of which projects slightly above the upper surface of the bottom 40 to define a stop for the beam, to be more fully hereinafter described.

Mounted for sliding movement between the side flanges 42 of the guide channel 38 is a beam 48 carrying adjacent one end a carriage 50 comprising an inverted U- shaped body 52, in the legs of which are journaled trunnions 54 of a roller 56, which when the beam 48 is extended outwardly across the guide roller 46, engages the underside of the guide channel 38 to cooperate with the roller 46 in defining a cantilever support for the beam 48. Mounted for rotation about a transverse axis within the beam 48 adjacent the carriage 50 is a roller 58 which cooperates with the guide roller 46 in supporting the beam 48 for longitudinal movement in the channel 38.

In use, a pair of carriers C are mounted on the top of a vehicle, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, and are supported in spaced relation to the top to avoid marring the finish thereof by the engagement of the feet 16 in the gutters G of the vehicle. Obviously, with the clamp hooks 16 clampingly engaging the gutters, as illustrated in Figure 3, the height of the channel 38 carried by the standards 30 may be regulated by the passage of the bolts 26 through selected openings 32 in the standards 3G. Moreover, the angular relationship of the standards with relation to the feet It may be adjusted, as illustrated in Figure 7, so that the standards 3t will always extend vertically. With the carrier C mounted on top, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, it will be evident that the beams 48 may be moved outwardly by a slight lift on the ends thereof adjacent the guide rollers 46 to enable the ends and the beams to be moved across said guide rollers, and the beams may be extended, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, beyond one side of the vehicle. The load may be imposed upon one of the beams, as illustrated in Figure 1, and finally shared by the second beam, as illustrated in Figure 2, after which the beams may be moved inwardly in their respective channels 38 until the ends thereof adjacent the rollers 46 drop behind the rollers so as to forestall accidental outward movement of the beams. The load B may then be strapped to the vehicle V in any conventional manner and transported to a selected unloading station at which the beams are elevated slightly to allow them to ride on the rollers 46 and then move laterally along the channels 38 to their original loading position, after which the load my be transferred to the ground. The beams may then be returned to their positions within the channels 38 and the vehicle employed in a conventional manner.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and de scribed the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A carrying attachment for a car top comprising spaced feet adapted to rest in the rain gutters carried by a car top adjacent opposite sides thereof, a hook carried by each foot for movement longitudinally adjacent one end thereof into clamping engagement with a rain gutter,

a standard carried by each foot and extending vertically ment longitudinally therein across the guide roller, a carriage carried by the supporting beam adjacent one end thereof and encircling the guide channel, and a roller carried by the carriage and extending thereacross beneath the guide channel for cooperation with the guide roller in supporting the beam when it is extended across said guide roller.

2. A carrying attachment for a car top comprising spaced fect adapted to rest in the rain gutters carried by a our top adjacent opposite sides thereof, a hook carried by each foot for movement longitudinally adjacent one end thereof into clamping engagement with a rain gutter, a standard carried by each foot and extending vertically upwardly therefrom above the car top, a guide channel carried by the standards and extending therebetween across the top of the car and in spaced relation thereto, a guide roller carried by the guide channel and extending transversely thereacross adjacent one end thereof, a supporting beam mounted in the guide channel for movement longitudinally therein across the guide roller, a carriage carried by the supporting beam adjacent one end thereof and encircling the guide channel, a roller carried by the carriage and extending thereacross beneath the guide channel for cooperation with the guide roller in supporting the beam when it is extended across said guide roller, and a bearing roller carried by the beam and extending thereacross adjacent the carriage for engaging the channel and cooperating with the guide roller in supporting the beam during its movement within the channel.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,748,282 Ellis Feb. 25, 1930 2,551,351 Swenson May 1, 1951 2,600,082 Sumner June 10, 1952 2,671,583 Shaw Mar. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 993,340 France Q Sept. 19, 1951 

